A Dangerous Game
by orangepenguin
Summary: A story of the last few weeks of the Original Order of the Phoenix. Of what causes betrayal, of using children as pawns, of fate, of death, of a werewolf who thought he had found friends but comes to realize that during war, everyone is a suspect.
1. The Haven

**A Dangerous Game**

**A/N: This story is set around the last few weeks of the original Order of the Phoenix, leading up till the tragic end of one story, and the beginning of the series known as Harry Potter.**

**Disclaimer: I do own Harry Potter or anything related. I am not JK Rowling.**

The kitchen door of Haven, the underground home of Remus Lupin, creaked open. At least, he liked to think of it as an "underground home," it made it seem more romantic than the shabby basement apartment it was in actuality. The name Haven was a bit of joke he had with his fellow members of the Order of the Phoenix; the unsuspecting apartment was equipped with spare rooms for tired wizards coming in after a long night of duty, and was guaranteed to be safe by countless spells. Remus just felt lucky that he didn't have to pay rent, currently being unemployed. After the proprietors of Flourish and Blotts decided that a werewolf was too much of a liability to keep around, despite his love of books, he had been living entirely off Dumbledore's generosity.

Remus, who was sitting in the area designated as a kitchen when the door opened, looked up to see a bleary eyed Sirius enter. "How goes the watch?" he asked, rising quickly from the table to put water on the stove to boil.

"Same as ever," Sirius groaned sitting down at the large round table. It was about two in the morning, and he had been hiding in the bushes outside of Lily and James's house for the last four hours.

"Did James figure out that you were there?" Remus asked as he added tea leaves to thebubbling water.

"Nope." Sirius paused, and Remus's head jerked up with a look of surprise. "It was Lily."

He sighed, tiredly. "Ah. Well, Dumbledore should have known that they would guess we're having them watched. I mean, he's Prongs, we've been best friends since we were eleven years old."

Sirius bowed his head, "I know, but it's for their own good. Since Dumbledore heard." Sirius stopped and rephrased quickly, "Since Dumbledore acquired his new information, they're in real danger."

Remus handed Sirius a mug of the steaming scented tea, "But you know James," he said after taking a long draught from his own mug, "he will never admit that there's a problem he might need help with. How angry was he tonight?"

"He didn't know. Lily said it had been a bad day and she wasn't planning on making it worse." Sirius chuckled, shaking his head at the thought of what Lily had to put up with. James, with his Quidditch player's love of open spaces was not taking quietly to the security measures he referred to as "a bloody house arrest".

Remus also smiled wryly, "Glad you caught her in a good mood. Where would James be if it wasn't for her?"

Sirius closed his eyes and sighed, "I think he would still be as immature as we were in our 5th year, mussing his hair, hurling hexes at anyone who looked at him sideways," he laughed softly, "or else he would be de—"

"Don't say that." Remus said sharply, looking up from the half empty, but still steaming mug. At Sirius's surprised expression he continued softly, "We have enough to worry about."

Sirius nodded, "Agreed."

Remus looked his old friend over and inwardly shuddered at his appearance. The normally smooth black hair, which had attracted more ladies than Remus had even brought himself to speak to in high school, was shaggy and tangled with bits of leaves and twigs. His glittering black eyes seemed to be dug into his skull, so dark were the circles underneath them.

Remus knew that Sirius was throwing himself into the quest to keep James and Lily safe far more exuberantly than anyone else, stopping only when Dumbledore forced him to, or else he passed out. James wasn't the only stubborn Marauder, after all. Remus knew by now that the only thing he could do was give his friend the best care possible until everything was over, and all of his friends were safe. It was almost a nice bit of change to not be the one that everyone worried over, to be the worrier for once. A transformation once a month is a danger that can be foreseen. Death Eater attacks were sporadic, perceived patterns were meaningless, you could never know who or where the next attack would occur.

"You need sleep Sirius," Remus admonished finishing the last of his tea, "go back to one of the special rooms, and don't forget to seal yourself in!"

"Alright." Sirius rose and walked towards the door. Halfway there, he turned and half smiled tiredly at his old friend, "Thanks Moony."

"It's nothing, now go get some sleep!" Remus ordered, laughing, as he picked up the two cooled mugs and took them over to the sink, looking at his surroundings. The dark paneled walls and low ceilings gave the place a bit of the feeling of a cave, which may have disconcerted others, but was oddly comforting to Remus. He liked small spaces, and the main room was certainly that, the tiny well stocked kitchen area was separated from the rest of the room by a dark wood bar. Then there was the large round table, much more often the home of tense discussions than dinners.

The other half of the room, which Remus thought of as the "den", pardon the pun, was slightly sunken, in an uncertain way that could have been accident or art, and hosted a large enchanted stone fireplace, where a Floo-fire always burned. There were several shabby couches and chairs around the hearth, and of course the "library", a large bookcase full of Remus's favorite volumes, both magical and non. This was the whole of the actual apartment, the other rooms were magical additions, and the door to them was camouflaged to look like just more paneling.

This was all part of Lupin's important job for the Order. As Voldemort's power had grown, the need to protect Order members had increased drastically. Remus had quite willingly volunteer to be the host, not only because he needed the place to sleep and store his books, but because he wanted to help. He liked taking care of people, and he was good at it.

Whatever the time, he had pledged to be ready to take care of those in the Order. With food, bed, or special stealthy owls to take messages, Remus had to be ready. The apartment had been magically enlarged to hold a handful of cozy rooms. They were equipped with beds, desks, and bathrooms, all in comfortable colors that were far more welcoming than a hotel room, or dark house would have been. They were sealed off from the inside so they couldn't be infiltrated, making them places of absolute rest and warmth.

Although it may have been part of his job, Remus shouldn't have worried only about Sirius's health. He should have been thinking of his own. This "being ready all the time one person welcome wagon" job was depriving him of sleep. All of the Marauders must have been stubborn though, because Remus wasn't planning on sleeping until someone was there to relieve him.

This was not likely to be any time soon as he never asked for help, and with all that was going on, few thought to offer it. Most of the people who came to his house were too tired to notice that their host was barely alive on his feet. But Sirius would always make sure that Remus had a few hours of sleep before he left. What were friends for?

Remus was done washing up the dishes and had begun feeding the many owls that were kept in an adjoining room. At times like this he felt like the old man he was far from being. It did not seem real that so recently he had been a carefree Hogwarts youth. Although, if he was honest with himself, he remembered that he had never really been carefree.

He was wondering if he should maybe risk some sleep, before he actually passed out, when he heard a rapping at the window. Blinking, he let the familiar golden owl in and opened the letter it carried. As the owl took its newly clean perch and began to gulp at its water, Remus read the note. In a precise, but shaky hand it said:

Lupin, He just struck again, only a few miles from where the Longbottoms are staying. Fifteen Muggles were killed. Get messages out to everyone that shifts will be going by halves, with everyone we can spare on the Longbottom's place. We don't want tired people, so make sure that the shifts don't forget to show up after only 2 hours instead of 4, all right? Also, extend the Potter shifts to 6 hours so we have more people to spare for the Longbottom's. I feel it Remus, the end is coming. God only knows how many of us will be left when it comes. Take care.  
-Albus Dumbledore

He sighed and threw the letter into the crackling emerald Floo-fire. So much for sleep.


	2. Downhill Slide

**A Dangerous Game**

**By orangepenguin**

**Disclaimer: JKR owns it, I just enjoy it**

**A/N: If you are reading this then I guess you enjoyed the first chapter, or at least you thought that it had potential. Who knows? It makes me so nervous to see the hits list go up without any review, because I wonder why, did people hate it? Did they just not think it was interesting? It made me re-vow to review everything I can. Anyway, on with the show.**

Things began to move very quickly after the fateful owl arrived. Remus dragged Sirius out of his warm purple bed (he was always drawn to the purple one for some reason, as was Mad-Eye Moody, although Remus had no inclination to inform Sirius of this fact) and told him the news.

Although they were both deeply tired, and in no condition, they set some coffee brewing and pulled out the parchment. Rubbing their eyes, they slowly began to send out owls to all the Order. There was a special code for secret information in case the owls were intercepted. Remus was actually quite proud of it. It included a nice scrambling charm that he and Lily had invented at Hogwarts. James and Sirius had always gone in for the more impressive types of magic, generally Transfiguration. But Charms had practical uses that appealed to him. Or perhaps it was more that he had enough of things transforming in his life.

Sirius and Remus now had to do something that neither were very proficient at, organizing shifts. "Where's Lily when you need her?" Sirius asked, woefully glaring down at the charts of work hours and conflicts below him. Remus looked at him darkly, and began to make a list. First, they sent owls to those who would be on the new Longbottom schedule:

The McKinnons, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Benjy Fenwick, Edgar Bones, Sturgis Podmore, Caradoc Dearborn, Elphias Doge, The Prewetts, Aberforth (Dumbledore's crazed brother, always an interesting guest at Haven. Two weeks ago he had gotten up at four in the morning and eaten en entire jar of peanut butter. Remus had found him in the morning just starting in on the pot of jam.) and Dorcas Meadowes

On the extended shift schedule for the Potters they decided to keep only those who would care most about their welfare; those who could be trusted to handle the longer hours, and who would not be resentful.

Peter Pettigrew, Alastor Moody, Rubeus Hagrid, Albus Dumbledore (he wanted to make sure things went well personally) and Sirius Black.

Remus scowled at this last list, he wanted so badly to be on the Potter schedule. But no, he had to stay behind at Haven while everyone else was out protecting two of his best friends, not to mention Harry. He knew in his mind that his was important work, but he just felt left out. _You're being a child, _he told himself. _Someone had to be a Haven, and that is your job._

While Sirius was tying the scrolls onto owls, Remus allowed his mind to wander. The real question that had been plaguing him was not how to protect his friends, but why the Longbottoms and the Potters were chosen victims in the first place. Nobody really knew except Dumbledore, but the whole Order had been told that young Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom were the real targets. Remus clenched his teeth in anger—he hated the thought of targeting children, usung them like pawns in wars they could not understand. If anyone needed further proof that Voldemort was truly the Dark Lord, this was it.

But the whole thing had a mythological aspect to it that Remus found oddly appealing, not like this of course, but in a purely intellectual way. Because Somehow Dumbledore had heard that one of them would grow up to defeat Voldemort. That a "child of the Order" so to speak, had this destiny was the biggest secret the Order knew, and they hesitated to speak of it, even in a secure place, among friends.

Both Harry and Neville came from great wizarding families, but they were just babies. Who could know, really which one would have a great destiny, or if they even would at all? _And if they are to defeat Voldemort, are we using them as weapons, as threats, and isn't that something evil, to be despised?_ Remus shook the thoughts from his head. He was too tired, and getting worryingly philosophical.

Half an hour later, Remus and Sirius plopped down on the aging sofa after finally sending out all the owls. They had already been exhausted, and now they were as if in a living coma. All they wanted to do was sleep, but they had to be there, and conscious, when the owls started winging their way back in. Sirius was slowly drinking coffee, trying to stay awake, while the green glowing flames tried to entice him toward sleep. Lupin was going over the schedules for watches, so that he'd have enough room for all the guests the new schedule would be bringing.

He hated this sort of thing, Sirius was right, Lily would have been much better at it. _But Lily isn't here now, and you have to step it up. this is important._ The Longbottom watches may have only been two hours long, but people were still required to stop by after they were replaced so that Dumbledore would know that everyone was alive. If someone didn't stop by Haven after their watch, then everyone would go on high alert trying to find them. They did not have enough people to risk losing any.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Sirius, mainly as a way to stay up, after they had sat in silence for a few minutes.

"This may sound pessimistic, but I think that this muggle killing was just a warning." Lupin sighed, reaching for his own coffee from the table a few feet away.

"Bloody violent warning if you ask me." Sirius laughed half-heartedly.

"That's true," Lupin smiled, "but I still think that worse will come before this is over. The end may be coming, but it will not come until much more blood has been shed."

Sirius stood up, and paced in front of the emerald flames, sarcastic. "Why do you think that? I mean, why just be a little pessimistic? If you want to be really pessimistic, you could note that we have barely twenty five members, and that four of them are in constant hiding. You could say that Voldemort has hundreds and they terrorize the world by day while we lurk in shadows by night. You could note that the Ministry of Magic is a joke, because they're saying that everything is fine while more and more people die daily. If you were really being pessimistic you could say that we are fighting a war that we can not win." He broke off, breathing hard, and sat back down on the sofa. After a moment he said softly, "You'd also be right."

"That's not fair!" Remus protested. "Not after all that we've done, all that we're doing. We have a chance. More than a chance."

"Do we?" asked Sirius in a low, growling, almost dog-like voice.

Lupin looked wolfish, and said with dignity, "I refuse to think anything else."

The silence set for a moment, while they both quietly thought of all they would have to overcome for the fight to really be over. Then an owl rapped at the window again, shaking them out of their reverie. Sirius got it, and read quietly while the owl flew into the next room. He looked up at Remus's strained face.

"Death Eater's attacked the McKinnon's house a few hours ago, Dumbledore just got there. All the McKinnons are dead, Remus." He laughed, but it was a hollow dead laugh, a horrible hopeless sound. "What chance do we have now?"

"We will always have a chance." Lupin whispered fiercely.

"The Prewetts were there too, and Benjy Fenwick. They're all dead. Dumbledore says that there wasn't enough of Benjy left to bury, just scattered pieces."

Black and Lupin glared angrily at each other for a moment, and then they jumped up and embraced as brothers would, tears dripping from their eyes. "I'm sorry Moony, we will fight this fight until the finish," Sirius whispered in a rough voice.

"All is forgiven Padfoot," Remus smiled halfheartedly, as usual, knowing the right thing to say, and knowing how to sound like he meant it.


	3. News and Floos

**A Dangerous Game**

Sirius broke away from Remus, newly purposeful after his moment of weakness and the cataclysmic news. "Let's start drafting new schedules. We can't let Voldemort find us in a moment of weakness. We must be strong." He laughed in his head, _I've heard that zombies have superhuman strength. Merlin, I'm tired._

Remus sighed, knowing that he was right. He headed towards the parchment drawer, resigned to more scheduling before he could finally slide between sheets. Turning to Sirius, he said, "I'll start, you get James and Lily in the fire to tell them. They won't have heard about the attack yet."

Sirius walked over to the fire and grabbed a handful of Floo powder from the cup at the fireside. Throwing it in he called out, "Godric's hollow!" and ducked his head into the hissing emerald flames.

Every time he did this, Remus winced. He hated fire, and never really trusted in the enchantment to keep him from burning. He supposed it stemmed from that time that Peter had accidentally set his robes aflame in Potions in their third year. He had been badly burned, and he still had to wear the robes, not being able to afford new ones. He glanced at Sirius ruefully, knowing that he would have bought him a wardrobe of robes. _Damn my foolish pride, _he thought, picking up his quill.

Sirius knelt on a cushion at the hearth, there for this express purpose, and he felt his head spin out of control. It was always a rush to him, he loved Floo, the feeling of his head being a separate entity from his body. "James! Are you there?" he yelled as the Potter's living room slowly came into his vision, "Lily?"

A female voice called out, "Sirius?" After a moment she came down the stairs, her long white nightgown trailing on the floor and baby Harry in her arms. Seeing the expression on his face, she knelt to be at eye level. "What happened?"

"Get James, I want to tell you both together." Sirius said grimly.

"Is it really that bad?" She shifted Harry from one hip to the other, but he remained still, eyes closed.

"Yes, hurry Lily, it's important." He insisted, shaking the hair out of his eyes.

With a hasty "watch Harry," she ran from the room, leaving Harry lying peacefully on the carpet by the fire. "At least someone can get his sleep this morning," Sirius said, smiling at his godson. It was hard to believe that the fate of all mankind might rest on this tiny person. He was so defenseless, so innocent.

Little Harry rolled over, and looked into Sirius's eyes. Sirius felt his heart melt at their piercing green, before he was flooded with guilt. _Who are we to ask you to protect us? _Sirius remembered something his hated mother had often said to be as a child, "You are a Black. You have a destiny to uphold." She had meant his destiny to marry some appropriately Pureblooded witch and continue the family line, not defeat the most evil wizard in the world. But he too knew what it was to have an unwelcome destiny.

"Don't tell anyone, Harry," he said softly, "but I hope it's Neville. All I want you to be is my perfectly normal godson. Let someone else be the hero." Sirius looked up, as he heard thundering footsteps on the stairs.

"What is it, Sirius?" asked a tall man with messy black hair, as he strode into the room. "What happened?"

Sirius gave a deep sigh, resigning himself to being the messenger, always of unwelcome news these days. "Voldemort found the location of the McKinnon's house—"

"Someone must have told him." Lily whispered harshly, entering right behind James and picking up Harry as they both settled on the rug.

"That's what we think," said Sirius, "but listen. Death Eaters came there just a few hours ago, The McKinnons, The Prewetts, and Benjy Fenwick were there, " he stopped, taking a deep breath. "They were all dead when Dumbledore found them."

James rocked back on his heels, silent with shock, and Lily bit her lip. "Who would do this?" James asked the ceiling.

Sirius grimaced, "That's what we'd all like to know, isn't it?"

Lily stood up, "I hate this, I hate that I'm listing people in my head and wondering who of the people I love would want me to be dead," she took a deep breath. "Would want Harry to be dead."

"Isn't there something we can do, Padfoot?"

Sirius shook his head. "You know you can't leave this house. It's too risky."

James gave him a dark look, and Lily sighed. This was an old fight. James hated Sirius for having authority over him, for being the one trying to protect his family. Lily leaned back, this was going to last a while longer.

By the time Sirius pulled his head out of the Potter's fire it was around 9:00 am, the early fall sunlight was filtering through the Potter's permanently closed blinds. As he disappeared, Lily looked up at her husband who was kneeling beside her. She gently rocked Harry in her arms, holding him carefully, "James, they're dead. They wouldn't have even been targets if it wasn't for us." She spoke carefully, trying to keep the tears from her voice.

"Don't say that." James barked, grabbing Lily's shoulder. "They're fighting because they want to, _not_ because we made them." His brown eyes met her green and they both automatically looked down at Harry, the perfect blend of his parents.

Lily turned away. "Hush, you'll scare him."

"He was born in a scary world," James stood up, raking his fingers through his hair, an ironic nod to his former flirtatiousness. He was deadly serious now, and pulled his wife to her feet. "Lily, you know that it isn't our fault. The only person to blame is Voldemort. He began this, we can only try to help and finish it." James nodded at his son, who he might be the only one able to do so.

Lily did not look placated, but then, had she ever after one of James's speeches? The memories came to him, of Hogwarts days. This could have been one of many conversations they'd had, about much less important matters. Teenagers take themselves seriously, but they do not know what worry really means. When you feel the weight of it in your bones.

Lily looked up at him through her eyelashes. "I know, but I'm so worried. What if the next person to die is Remus, or Sirius, or Peter?"

"It's the risk we all take."

"No!" Lily almost shouted, standing and putting Harry down in his playpen. He was awake now, but oddly quiet, not crying out. He was a grave baby, one who felt the gravity of the world he had been tossed into. Lily turned to her husband. "We aren't taking any risks, we're sitting here safe and bored while everyone is getting exhausted and…dying to protect us!"

"Don't you think I know?" James began angrily, and then his anger faded into a gentle hopelessness. He pulled his fiery young wife toward him, "I know."

She looked at him, eyes wet, "James, what if the spy is Remus, or Sirius, or Peter?"

"Don't even think of it, Lily. Trust them."

"How?" she asked simply, and he just shook his head. They held each other for a long time rocking back and forth.

Back at the Haven, Remus had warily taken his turn at the flames and was talking through the fire to Frank and Alice Longbottom.

"Remus, they died in a meeting to discuss shifts for protecting _us_!" Frank shouted at Lupin, crunching a piece of toast to crumbs in his hand.

"Frank, don't yell at him, it's obvious he's very tired," Alice glared at her husband and glanced at Remus's shaggy grey hair, so unusual in people their age, and his dark undereye circles, "We're sorry, it's just a very hard position to be in. We have no way to help ourselves. It's difficult to completely rely on others."

"Everything's hard these days, Alice," Remus sighed as he repositioned himself on the hearth. "It's awful for you, but until Voldemort is defeated, we can't rest."

"But all we are doing is resting! Remus, I was trained to fight crime, I'm an Auror, this is the time when I should be in my element. But instead I'm at home letting others fight my battle." Frank yelled, as Neville whimpered in the background.

Unlike Harry, Neville often cried, he was so clingy, he always wanted to be held, to be protected. Perhaps in his own way, he too knew the state of everything, but just did not wish to accept it.

Alice rose and went to get him from the bright yellow crib, as Remus began to speak again, "Frank, everyone is uptight now, but we have to keep going as if nothing happened. Voldemort is going to act soon, while he thinks we are weak, and we can't lose any more people. We'll have to go to the next step in security."

"What step is that?" Alice asked as she walked back up to the fire carrying Neville in her strong loving arms.

"The Fidelius Charm."

Frank grimaced at hearing the difficult charm, the last resort, "has it really come to that?"

"I'm afraid so, we will have to have two secret keepers, one for you, and one for the Potters. Do you have any requests?" Lupin asked blinking slowly. He knew that there was no way for sparks to fly in his eyes, but it was as if he could feel them. He _hated_ fire.

"I don't know, anyone in the Order would be good, wouldn't they?" Alice looked at her friend and husband, unsure that anything was fine anymore.

"They should. At least we all hope so, but Dumbledore thinks that there may be a spy among us."

"A spy? I don't think so Remus, I'm sure whoever you decide will be fine." She seemed bemused, although her husband looked thoughtful, and you could almost see him ticking off the remaining Order members in his head.

"Ok. I'll check in with you later, to tell you who has volunteered, and don't be alarmed if the Order seems more active around your house tonight. We're trying out a new shift schedule." He inadvertently shuddered at the thought of all the additional guests that would be arriving. He had much to do before he could rest.

"Goodbye Remus," smiled Alice, at once sorry but slightly relieved to see him go. It's hard not to blame the messenger, at least subconsciously.

"Take care of yourself," Frank told him sternly, before Remus gratefully retreated back to Haven.

**A/N: The feeling of helplessness is very important in this fic, and I am trying to get across without waxing too philosophical… although that is one of my favorite pastimes and probably unavoidable. I'd appreciate feedback! Thanks.**


	4. The Rat and the Monster

**A Dangerous Game**

**by orangepenguin**

Remus stood up from the hearth, brushing the soot from his knees and trying to shake the image of Frank Longbottom's suspecting face from his mind. He should have seen this coming when Dumbledore had first mentioned the possibility of a spy. After all, he was the creature (_yes, creature, never forget you that are not human, for no one else will) _who knew the comings and goings of the Order, knew the schedules… for Merlin's sake, wrote the schedules…

He turned and saw Sirius asleep on the worn sofa; wondered if Sirius suspected him too. Surely, after all those transformations, all the years of defending him with righteous anger against a bigoted world...Surely Sirius would never think that he could be a Death Eater. Remus wandered into the kitchen and put a kettle of water on the stove to boil. He could just imagine what was running through Frank's mind: he's a dark creature, it's in his nature to be deceitful, we should never have trusted him…Remus noticed that his hand was trembling and wondered if it was because of anger, or simply exhaustion.

Sirius stirred, making a slight moaning sound, and Remus turned with a jerk. He half smiled, it wasn't like him to be so jumpy. He was supposed to to be the calm collected Marauder. The kettle began to shake, and Remus picked it up before it whistled, not wanting to wake Sirius. Of course, very little _could_ wake Sirius. Back at Hogwarts it had been a favorite pastime of his and James, trying to rouse their sleeping friend.

"_Cold water? Please, it'll take a lot more than that," scoffed James, shaking his head at Remus, whose wand had just become a veritable fountain. _

"_Okay then, let's see what you've got." _

_James grinned. "Cover your ears." The sound of a train whistle filled the room, and Remus's mouth dropped open. _

_"How did you do that?" he gasped. Sirius merely turned over, still sleeping. James and Remus exchanged looks, and fell to the ground laughing,_

Remus smiled at the memory, it had been a long time since he or James had laughed hard at anything. Much had changed from those Hogwarts days…although Sirius was still the deepest sleeper Remus had ever seen. He placed the tea bag into his mug of hot water and sighed. He hated the dark suspicions that filled his own mind these days. Someone had to have tipped off the Death Eaters about the McKinnons, and he was automatically listing everyone involved.

Remus had just sat down at the table when the kitchen door flew open, and a bedraggled looking Peter Pettigrew stumbled in the door. "Peter! Your watch wasn't supposed to be up for another hour and a half."

Peter shook his head, and went to pour himself a mug of water. "Emmeline came by early, told me everything that happened, and sent me here. Remus, if we're going to be doing six hour shifts, we're going to have to get all the sleep we can." His small perceptive eyes took in Remus's dark circles. "How long has it been since you've been to bed?"

Remus stifled a yawn, "Longer than I'd care to think about." Peter joined him at the table, bobbing his teabag up and down in the mug. It was a steady movement, almost hypnotizing. Remus felt his eyelids growing heavier, and struggled to regain composure. "Did anything happen I should know about?"

"No…James threatened to body bind me if I didn't get the hell out of his bushes, but Lily took his wand away." He took a long sip of the tea. "How are things going here?"

"Itold Frank and Alice the news through the fire, and I could just see…"

Peter looked up, "See what?"

"Nothing. It's only, well… Dumbledore thinks that there's a spy in the Order, someone who is reporting our schedule and information to Voldemort, and I feel like I'm the prime suspect."

The short, prematurely balding man nodded, "Because you're the one who knows where everyone is, always, and because you don't ever go on guard duty."

Remus felt the blood rising to his cheeks, "Don't tell me you suspect me too, Peter. I don't go on guard duty because I'm always here, drinking tea with all of you _real_ Order members!"

"Let down your hackles, Moony, I'm not suspecting you. I just see how people could get the idea."

Remus shook his head. "I'm sorry, Wormtail. It's just that we need to be strong, to be a united force, but instead we're suspecting each other and playing stupid political intrigue…" he growled in frustration. "I really need to go to sleep."

Peter watched him, gaze unwavering as he drank from his tea. He was not the type of wizard to offer aid unasked, he preferred people to owe him favors. This pained his Gryffindor friends' senses of pride—they all abhorred asking for help.

Still, desperate times… "Can I trust you to take care of Haven for a couple of hours? At least until Sirius wakes up?"

Peter nodded. "Get some rest now, Remus. Who knows when you'll be able to in the future."

Remus smiled at him gratefully. "You always did have the strongest survival instincts, Peter. Traditionally such a Slytherin trait…but we were lucky to have you."

"And don't you forget it!"said Peter, half joking, but with an odd glint that made Remus question, for a moment, the relative value of owing Peter Pettigrew a favor. He yawned, and realized that he would owe Bellatrix Lestrange a favor, if it meant he could get a good night's sleep. _I better not say that, even as a joke. Not with everyone wondering...it could be taken the wrong way._

He got up and rinsed out his mug, heading for the concealed entrance to the bedrooms. "Thank you, Peter."

Pettigrew sniffed rodent-like, and his eyes narrowed, "Think nothing of it."

After Remus left the room, Peter's body, not seemingly tense before, visably relaxed. He stood and walked over to Sirius's sleeping form. " I could kill you right now," he whispered. "Kill you and make it look as if the Werewolf did it. Who are they going to believe? The rat or the monster?" All of a sudden he kicked Sirius sharply in the shins, and Sirius, in his sleep, seemed to whimper like a dog.

"But no. I'm not a Slytherin, I'm a Gryffindor, and I will not kill you in your sleep, helpless. When you die, the whole world will know. And the world will remember my name." He turned on his heel and left Haven.

A/N: Shorter than I'd have liked, but hopefully an improvement on what's been posted thus far. I'm trying to sort out what I want from this fic, and I think that Remus is the key. Of course, he's always been my key…mmhmm….


	5. She Didn't Come

**A Dangerous Game**

**by orangepenguin**

**A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews. And as for you lurky-type folks…thanks for reading.**

Just moments after Peter Pettigrew swept from Haven, a new arrival ducked his tall pointed hat into the kitchen door. Albus Dumbledore, looking slightly put out, glanced around the room. He was surprised, and slightly displeased, to see Sirius asleep on the couch, with Remus nowhere in sight.

"Mr. Black?" he said sternly, standing over Sirius's sleeping form.

Sirius jumped about a foot in the air, "I didn't do it!' Dumbledore shook his head, laughing slightly. When Sirius got hold of himself, he too smiled weakly. "I guess there's nothing like a teacher's disapproving voice to wake me up."

"Indeed," Dumbledore replied, eyes twinkling. "But you should know better than to sleep with no one to guard the Haven."

Sirius's eyes widened. "But Moony—Remus was here. He wouldn't have just left."

"No," Dumbledore said, frowning and sitting in the chair opposite Sirius, "he would not. Not unless something of great importance had happened."

"Then surely he would have woken me—" Sirius broke off, and stood up. "I better check the back rooms, before we start getting anxious."

"A fine suggestion," said Dumbledore, rising. Sirius left the room, and Albus wandered towards the bookshelf. He had supplied many of the books himself, pretending that they had just been left by the apartment's prior tenant. While he was sure Remus had seen through this thin ruse, he had said nothing, and Dumbledore understood. Books were not to be turned away for such a small thing as pride. Food, yes, potions, perhaps, but never books. A book shared among friends is a type of debt that needs not be repaid.

After a moment, Sirius came from the concealed door, dragging a half-asleep Remus behind him. "Here he is, Albus."

Remus stood there for a second, rubbing his eyes in a spectacularly undignified manner. He attempted to collect himself. "Albus, what is the problem?"

"When I arrived at Haven a few minutes ago, I was greeted by the sound of Mr. Black's snores coming from the couch. Why was no one awake? You know better than to leave this place unguarded."

Remus looked disturbed, "But Peter, he was here. He came by and we talked, and he said he would watch the place for a few hours so I could get some sleep."

Dumbledore frowned. "Peter Pettigrew?"

"Of course." Remus glanced around the room, as if he suspected that Peter was lurking in a corner, just out of sight, and they had merely overlooked him. But alas, there was no one there, and Dumbledore was surveying him gravely. "He was here," Remus insisted.

"Perhaps we should sit down and talk, the two of us."

Remus felt Sirius's body stiffen next to him. "I'd rather not leave—" Sirius began, but Remus cut him off, tiredly.

"It's fine, Sirius. Go…go to the Longbottoms and check on Dorcas Meadowes, she was supposed to relieve Sturgis, but he never came here to report." He saw Sirius formulating a protest. "Just go, Sirius, it's fine."

"Okay," Sirius said with reluctance, casting a last warning glance in Dumbledore's direction, before Disapparating with a pop.

Remus smiled wanly at Dumbledore, and gestured towards the worn sofa. The tall wizard removed his hat, and sat gracefully; Remus placed himself in the chair opposite, and waited for the lecture he knew was forthcoming. However, Dumbledore did not begin with a lecture; instead, he withdrew a small tin from the pocket of his star studded robes. "Care for a lemon drop, Remus?"

Remus looked at him rather disbelievingly, and then shrugged, "Why not?" He took the proffered candy, and looked up at Albus expectantly.

"Remus, I know you are under much pressure, and extremely straining conditions, but you must understand that what happened today is unacceptable. Yes, Sirius was there, and would have woken if something had happened, but he was off his guard. A Death Eater could have silently Stunned him and begun a search of Haven—you know this."

"I told you, sir. Peter was here. He came from the Potter's early after hearing the news about the attacks, and—"

"He left before his shift was completed?" Everything in Dumbledore's face read quiet disbelief.

"He told me that Emmeline had come early to let him know what happened."

"Did you check this information?"

Remus looked incredulous. "No. I did not. I am in the practice of _trusting my friends."_

Dumbledore lowered his head, "Your point is taken. But it is war time now, and I can't take chances. You know our objective." He paused, and Remus sighed.

"To protect Harry and Neville, for they will save us all," said Remus in a rather learnt-by-heart way.

"Yes," Dumbledore said firmly. "I can not allow anything to jeopardize their safety. Nothing."

Remus closed his eyes, drawing on his Gryffindor courage. "Albus, do not misunderstand me, I do not wish for either Harry or Neville to come to harm any more than you do, and I also recognize that you have sources that I am not aware of, and that if you trust their information implicitly, I should not question it. But surely there is something wrong when we, fully grown wizards, expect innocent children to save us from something they do not know exists."

He and Dumbledore sat in silence for a long moment, before Dumbledore replied, speaking slowly, as if to ensure absolute understanding. "I will not reveal my sources. It is for the safety of many that I do not. But you can trust that I would not willingly put others' lives at risk unless I believed it absolutely necessary. It is possible for me to make mistakes, I am not infallible. But in this case, I am _not_ mistaken." He stopped, and smiled, losing (for a moment) his intimidating exterior. "I understand your frustration with me, Remus, for people such as us, there is nothing worse than being denied knowledge."

Remus nodded, but continued doggedly. "Albus, you avoided my question. How is it ethical to use children in war?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "I am not going to outfit them with wands and send them into battle, Remus. When I say that they will be the ones to save us all, I am speaking on an authority greater than my own. That is all I will say on the matter."

Remus sighed. He knew when a subject was closed. "Fine, sir, I will have to accept that. But something else…Is it true that you think someone in the Order has turned spy for the Death Eaters?"

"The allure of power is very strong, and though the Order can offer many things, power is not one of them. I do believe that someone on our side is reporting to Voldemort. Do not ask me who I suspect," Dumbledore warned. "I will keep such counsel to myself, and I suggest you do likewise."

Remus shook his head. "It is difficult to do so, when you are the one being suspected."

Dumbledore shifted in his seat, and was about to reply, when Sirius burst through the kitchen door of Haven. "Remus, Dumbledore, I just talked to Sturgis. Dorcas never came to relieve him. He hasn't heard from her."

Remus rose to his feet. "She just didn't come?"

Sirius bowed his head, and Remus knew the answer. He turned towards the fireplace, and called out the name of Dorcas's home, steeling himself for what he might find on the other end of the fire.

**A/N: Well, I basically poured my soul into that chapter, and writing it was like pulling teeth. Just so you know… Come on, hit me with your best shot—let's hear what you think.**


	6. Two Murders and a Suicide

**A Dangerous Game **

**Chapter Six**

**A/N: I just reread all of the chapters of this story, and I would like to sincerely apologize for the excess of typos. I assure you that I am very familiar with grammar and spelling rules, and that the problem lies in the fact that I _can't type worth crap. _I am planning to go back at some point (hopefully in the near future) and correct everything, but as for now, my apologies are all I have to offer, along with this depressing but plot filled chapter. On a side note, I'm thinking that this story will be no more than fifteen chapters, probably less, and I am going to try and finish it before I go back to school at the beginning of August (which will be made difficult, seeing as I got a lead in a musical which will be rehearsing from 9-4 every day for the next two weeks…but enough bragging.) Okay, long A/N, on with the chapter.**

"Dorcas! Are you there?" Remus had been shouting at her apparently empty house for about fifteen minutes, refusing to accept the obvious answer. He had found her, and taken her. Remus sighed, there wasn't any point shouting into empty space now, if she was really gone, there wasn't any hope.

With a swirl of emerald fire, he found himself sitting, cold and scared on the stone hearth at Haven. It was an uncomfortable position he had found himself in far too often recently. He looked up to see Sirius and Dumbledore's worried faces.

"She wasn't there. I'm afraid she's gone."

Albus sighed deeply, and for a moment looked as old as he was.

Sirius's mouth dropped open, "Not Dorcas, she was in our year at school, we were friends! Can't we do something, a rescue mission?"

Dumbledore observed him gravely. "You know better than that, Sirius. We don't have enough members to risk anybody. It's already too late."

Remus closed his eyes, recalling the first night the newly formed Order had met.

"_There is," Dumbledore said sadly, "one more condition you must agree to. I'm afraid it is necessary, although we all hope no member will ever be forced to act upon it. Still, in these uncertain times, we can not afford to be short sighted. Thus, I remind all of you that nothing is more important than our cause, and ask you to agree to this: All members of the Order, if captured by the man who styles himself Lord Voldemort, will take their own lives rather than be tortured for information."_

Remus remembered seeing James clutch Lily's hand extra tightly, and Hagrid grip that pink umbrella of his, nodding solemnly. He remembered, most alarmingly of all, the light glowing behind Sirius's eyes, and wondering if it was true, what the Greek heroes thought, that there was no more honorable death than that of your own hands. He remembered thinking that if one of his friends died, martyrdom would be cold comfort.

About an hour later, Dumbledore having excused himself, Sirius was sitting by the fire at Haven making a list of the remaining members of the Order. Despite all their hard work, it was getting shorter by the day, while the Death Eaters numbered in the thousands now. Sirius sighed and looked down at his parchment, he had finished, and honestly, it was a little pathetic.

Order Members

Dedalus Diggle

Emmeline Vance

Edgar Bones

Sturgis Podmore

Caradoc Dearborn

Elphias Doge

Aberforth Dumbledore

Peter Pettigrew

Alastor Moody

Albus Dumbledore

Sirius Black

Remus Lupin

Rubeus Hagrid  
and of course the incapacitated Potters and Longbottoms.

There were other Order members, but they were special, with special jobs beyond what was concerned with Haven and guard duty. 12 members. That was the grand total. Actually, ten, because Remus was tied up at Haven all the time, and Dumbledore was too busy to be seriously counted as a member of the guard. Why was everything so hard these days? Just a few years ago (was it really only a few years?) the four Marauders were at school, before Voldemort was anything more than a particularly dark cloud on the horizon, back when their biggest problem was if Lily liked James or not.

Sirius half-laughed, it was somewhat ironic that their biggest problem wasn't a problem at all anymore. It was the only thing that wasn't, or so it seemed. He was interrupted by an owl rapping on the window. He was tempted not to answer it, lately every owl had held bad news. Still, if he didn't get it then Remus would wake up from the nap he was guiltily taking (even more guiltily than usual, after Dumbledore's visit), and Sirius didn't want that. Sighing, he untied the letter and absently patted the owl's head.

Haven,  
Elphias Doge and Caradoc Dearborn are dead. Please inform their  
families, I will get to them with the details personally.  
Sirius, James has named you as his secret keeper, I will perform  
the ceremony tonight at Haven. Be ready.

-Albus Dumbledore

"Remus!" Sirius called, turning from the window, and cursing inwardly. Remus rolled off the couch, looking mildly disoriented.

"What happened?"

"Elphias and Caradoc are dead, Moony."

"What? How?"

"I don't know, Dumbledore just sent an owl, but he didn't give any details." Remus clutched at the letter in Sirius's hand and read it quickly to himself. He was shaking when he had finished, but not for the obvious reason. He turned away, so that Sirius wouldn't see the expression on his face.

"Will you owl everyone, please? I don't…I can't do it again today."

"I will," Sirius said softly, wondering what was wrong with his friend, besides the obvious. But he knew Moony, and to press the issue would get him nowhere.

"I'll…go check on the owls," Remus said, not looking Sirius in the eyes as he took the golden bird from his arm. He walked through the secret doorway, and up a short flight of stairs to the enchanted room, above ground, but invisible, that was their miniature owlry.

Sirius and James had always been closest friends, and Remus knew it, still this wasn't something he had been expecting. It was unfair! Sirius had the good looks and the best friend. What did Remus get? He was the lonely werewolf who hurt everything he loved. It didn't matter that he had always stuck by James, loyal forever. When it came down to the line, James cared more about Sirius.

Remus set down the owl by a water dish, and stroked its wing, letting his poisonous thoughts drain through his body. Allowing himself to hate his two closest friends for excluding him from something so important. He would be a better secret keeper, he was always here—the chances of Voldemort catching him were far smaller. But of course, James would choose Sirius. That's how it always had been.

Remus wasn't aware, but at the same time, Peter Pettigrew was sitting outside the Longbottom's window having similar thoughts, "James would never choose me to be his secret keeper. I'm just the overweight, under talented tag-a-long, Peter. No brave, or smart. Well, so he thinks. I'm going to be brave enough to do something that will change the world. I will tell him where they are."

The only problem was that he didn't know where the Potters new location was, however, he did know the Longbottoms. Besides, victims didn't really matter. The results would all be the same in the end. Peter was tired of pretending that good was going to win out. It was time for him to go over to his true master—the person who was winning

That night, as the village church bells rang midnight, Voldemort strode silently up behind Pettigrew. Normally, the Dark Lord would have just sent a Death Eater, but for something supposedly vital to his plan…And well, if it wasn't as vital as the little rat made it seem, he could always kill him then and there, so at least the night wouldn't be wasted. "Well, what is this information?"

Peter jumped, and turned around, trembling even worse than before, and shivering, although it wasn't really cold for October. "M..Ma...Master!" Peter stuttered and dropped to the ground to kiss the hem of Voldemort's robe.

"Get up fool, what is the information?" Voldemort looked menacing enough, although Peter couldn't actually see his face under the dark hood he wore.

"The...the information?" He rose and Voldemort glared at him angrily. "Of course, well, I know where the Longbottoms are..."

"Where? Tell me now."

"Yes, Master..."

**A/N: So there you have it. Some plot development, if nothing else, and a fairly long chapter, for me. Please review, I love feedback/praise. Criticism is okay, too.**


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